Join Texas AgrAbility and BattleGround to Breaking Ground for a 5-part agriculture business virtual conference. Sessions will be hosted on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:00 pm cst as a webinar. Registrants will be sent a link to join the webinar prior to the start time. All sessions will be recorded for later viewing. The registration fee covers all sessions.
Sessions will include:
June 23, 2020 – Navigating the Obstacle Course of Farming and Ranching: A Producer’s Perspective
Agriculture producers Doug Havemann (co-owner of Mesquite Field Farm and Army Veteran) and Damon Cleaton (co-owner of 4E Farms and Army Veteran) share their experience starting an agricultural operation in Texas. They will highlight helpful resources, educational programs, and opportunities for veterans and beginning farmers and ranchers. Makenzie Thomas, Texas AgrAbility Program Coordinator will also share resources and helpful equipment for farming and ranching.
June 25, 2020 – Resources for Farmers and Ranchers
Erin Kimbrough (BattleGround to Breaking Ground Program Manager) will share financial resources and programs available for farmers and ranchers. Topics will include USDA loans and programs, Texas Department of Agriculture grants and programs, Farmer Veteran Coalition, and much more.
June 30 2020 – Agriculture Business Planning
Dr. Greg Clary (Texas Center for Rural Entrepreneurship consultant and retired Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Economist) will present on agriculture business planning, tips for creating a business plan, and helpful information to get you started.
July 2, 2020 – Community of Interest in Agriculture Business
Participants will be broken into groups based on areas of agriculture production and led through an activity to discover resources, helpful tips, information sharing, and connections to other agriculture producers.
July 7, 2020 – Training Programs for Veterans and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
This session will highlight training programs available for military veterans and beginning farmers and ranchers. Speakers include: Tyler Froberg – Farm Manager of Hope Farms, Margo Hale – Armed to Farm Program Director, Kevin Cody – New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Farmer Training Program Manager, Erin Kimrbough – BattleGround to Breaking Ground Program Manager.
Registration Closed June 20, 2020
Battleground to Breaking Ground C9 Spring 2021 Applicant Webinar
Register for the webinar here!
Vocational Rehabilitation services supports individuals with disabilities to obtain, maintain, and advance in meaningful employment. Many agriculture producers are self-employed, thus creating challenges for accommodating a disability.
This free educational webinar will cover vocational rehabilitation services, eligibility criteria, and how to access vocational rehabilitation for self-employment.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Speaker
Jeanie Hanzal, MS, CRC (Certified in Forensic Rehabilitation Counseling)
Jeanie has been a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) since 1994. Her career started with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Vocational Rehabilitation Unit. In this capacity, Jeanie provided VR services on behalf of industrially-injured employees through a state program where services could be provided when there was litigation due to a Denial of Primary Liability by the third party administrator.
For four years, Jeanie worked with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development as a Career Rehabilitation Counselor with State Services for the Blind. She was appointed to the State Rehab Council for the Blind in 1998.
Wanting to delve into private practice, Jeanie worked as a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant for ten years, providing medical management, consulting, expert witness, and return to work services for industrially injured employees. Jeanie was also an Advisory member to the graduate program with Minnesota State University – Mankato, and an active member of the National Rehabilitation Association, Minnesota Rehabilitation Association chapter. In 2015, Jeanie’s article regarding ethics was published through The Rehabilitation Professional.
Jeanie moved to Texas in 2016, and consulted with an interdisciplinary neurological team at Rehab Without Walls and returned to her roots in Rehabilitation Counseling at Disability Rights Texas. Jeanie serves as a CAP Advocate with Region 6 (South Texas, RGV and Lower RGV) and El Paso County. Jeanie is currently an Advisory Member with National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) TASC Committee, an Executive Board Member with Texas Rehabilitation Association (TRA), and serves on outreach, employee advancement and cultural humility committees with DRTx.
Spare time activities include trail and gravel riding, house renovations, needle work, spending time with her fiancé, Carl, and two white boxers, Cooper and Tessa.
This FREE educational webinar will provide information on services for migrant & seasonal farmworkers with disabilities and chronic health conditions. It is geared toward the migrant & seasonal farmworker population and organizations that serve them. Topics include common disabilities that impact migrant & seasonal farmworkers, assistive equipment for farmworkers, and preventing farm related injuries.
Este seminario web educativo propocionará información sobre los servicios para los trabajadores agrícolas (migrantes) y trabajadores agrícolas de tiempo temporal con discapacidades y condiciones de salud crónicas. Está dirigido al la población de trabajadores agrícolas (migrantes) y trabajadores de tiempo temporal y a las organizaciones que los atienden. Los temas incluyen discapacidades comunes que afectan a los trabajadores agrícolas (migrantes) y trabajadores de tiempo temporal, equipos de asistenca para los trabajadores agrícolas y prevención de lesiones relacionadas con la granja.
Presenter: Elizabeth Gandara-Castillo, Hispanic Farmworker Coordinator – Texas AgrAbility
Presentadora: Elizabeth Gandara-Castillo, Coordinadora de trabajadores agrícolas hispanos – Texas AgrAbility
Assistive technology can enable farm workers to continue their work on the farm while living with a disability or health condition. This webinar will explore options for assistive technology on the farm, common disabilities assistive technology can address, and preventing secondary injuries on the farm.
Presenter: Elizabeth Gandara-Castillo, Hispanic Farmworker Coordinator – Texas AgrAbility
Centers for Independent Living provide essential services for individuals with disabilities to promote independence in communities. This is especially important in rural communities where other types of support services may be limited.
This free educational webinar will provide an overview of the Centers for Independent Living (CIL), eligibility criteria for utilizing CIL services, services provided, and ways to get involved with your local Center for Independent Living.
Presenter
Jackie Pacha, Executive Director for the Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living.
About 1 in 5 farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers suffer from a disabling condition. This session will explore services provided by the Texas AgrAbility program to assist farmers and ranchers with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Session topics include:
- Disability prevalence in agriculture
- Services provided by Texas AgrAbility
- AgrAbility project partnerships
- AgrAbility case studies highlighting assistive technology
About 1 in 5 farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers suffer from a disabling condition. This session will explore services provided by the Texas AgrAbility program to assist farmers and ranchers with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Session topics include:
- Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation
- Utilizing Vocational Rehabilitation for agriculture operations
- Funding for agriculture assistive technology
- Texas AgrAbility services
About 1 in 5 farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers suffer from a disabling condition. This session will highlight the new peer group that will facilitate the sharing of resources and experiences between for farmers and ranchers with disabilities.
Session topics include:
- What is a peer group?
- Benefits to peer group participation
- Peer group launching for farmers and ranchers with disabilities
Farming and ranching ranks among the most stressful occupations, with suicide rates nearly twice as high as the national average. The AgriStress Helpline is a new resource for farmers and ranchers in mental health crisis. Join us to learn more about the helpline and how it supports farmers and ranchers.
AgriStress Helpline Lunch & Learn Flyer